Costa Rica not overawed by World Cup group, says Wanchope
Costa Rica striker Paulo Wanchope said the Costa Ricans will not be overawed by facing hosts Germany, Poland and Ecuador in their first round group at the World Cup finals.

"That stage has already been passed in Costa Rica," he said. "Many of us have a lot of experience in international play.

"We are going to search for points from the first game against Germany. It doesn´t matter who we´re playing we have to find the maximum points to advance," he said.

The 29-year-old Wanchope, who scored eight goals in the qualifiers, brushed off concerns over the knee injuries that have plagued his career.

"In the World Cup qualifiers, I was the national team's leading scorer," he told reporters. "I´ve made many goals for the national team despite the criticism.

"I don´t have to prove anything to anyone."

Wanchope is Costa Rica's all-time leading scorer with 43 goals in 67 games. He has already announced that he will quit the national team after the World Cup.

The striker returned to play in Costa Rica the start of this year after a career in Europe and the Middle East that included spells with Derby County, West Ham United, Manchester City, Malaga and Al-Garafah in Qatar.

Unhappy with a lack of first team opportunities in Qatar, Wanchope retured to Herediano, his home-town team where he started his career in 1994.